Key Definitions

• Hazard: Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.
• Human-Caused Hazard: A hazard that arises from deliberate, intentional human actions to threaten or harm the well-being of others. Examples include school violence, terrorist acts, or sabotage.
• Natural Hazard: A hazard related to weather patterns and/or physical characteristics of an area. Often natural hazards occur repeatedly in the same geographical locations.
• Technological Hazard: A hazard originating from technological or industrial accidents, infrastructure failures, or certain human activities. These hazards may cause loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation, and often come with little to no warning.

Resources

Click on a link below to access tools and resources to assist in analyzing hazards.

• Preparing To Identify Hazards
• Assessing School Building Hazards
• Assessing School Grounds and Community Hazards
• Natural Hazards Center
• National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities Resources

Click on this link for Toolkit resources on mitigating identified hazards.

Click on this link for Toolkit resources on developing procedures and protocols for identified hazards.

Preparing To Identify Hazards

• Assessing General Hazards—Hazard and Risk Assessment Checklist: DOC|PDF
• Assessing School-Based Hazards—Hazard Assessment Checklist: DOC|PDF
• Preparing for Hazard Identification Checklist

Assessing School Building Hazards

• Identifying Potential Hazards Along Evacuation Routes Checklist
• Identifying School-Based Hazards—Building Mitigation Checklist: DOC|PDF
• Identifying School-Based Hazards—Classroom Mitigation Checklist: DOC|PDF

Assessing School Grounds and Community Hazards

• Identify Potential Hazards in the Neighborhood and Community Checklist
• Identifying School-Based Hazards—School Grounds Mitigation Checklist: DOC|PDF
• School Grounds and Site Access Control: Questions To Consider
• Outdoor Athletic Facilities and Playgrounds: Questions To Consider

Natural Hazards Center

The Natural Hazards Center serves as a national and international clearinghouse for knowledge concerning the social science and policy aspects of disasters. The Center collects and shares research and experience related to preparedness for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of disasters, emphasizing the link between hazard mitigation and sustainability to both producers and users of research and knowledge on extreme events.

Available at the National Hazards Center Web site: www.colorado.edu/hazards/

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities Resources

The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) has an extensive library of hazard assessment and mitigation resources, guides, and links, including:  

• Mitigating Hazards in School Facilities
• Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities
• Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment for Schools
• NCEF School Safety Assessment Guides

Available at the NCEF Web site: www.ncef.org